The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it may be described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present technology.
Light weight steel has numerous uses. In automobiles and airplanes, it will improve fuel efficiency by reducing the weight of the vehicle. Because mild steel has a density of 7.88 g/cm3 and the density of certain polymers, such as aromatic polyamides, is about 2.1 g/cm3, the composite of the two materials will have an overall reduced weight versus just steel, providing a lightweight material with considerable strength.
Steel is typically formed by conventional forging methods at temperatures in excess of 1000° C., whereas certain polymers, such as aromatic polyamides, undergo thermal decomposition at 450° C. Because steel is typically formed at temperature much higher than the typical thermal decomposition temperatures of polymeric materials, a true composite having a structural polymer integrated into and bonded with a steel framework is difficult to form. Methods enabling formation of such a composite material would be desirable.